View Royal Petition

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Jeff Martens

Dear Neighbours,

I have started a petition to see what the support level is in the neighborhood to see changes made to Six Mile Road that would make pedestrian crossing safer and bring awareness to drivers who are driving in excess of the speed limit.

I am trying to speak directly with everyone who lives in the neighbourhood and who uses Six Mile Road to get to and from their home. The map below shows the neighborhood I am canvassing as well as the proposed locations of the enhanced crosswalks on Six Mile Road.

I have been canvassing the neighbourhood for a couple of weeks asking two questions:

Do you want to see the traffic on Six Mile Road slowed down?

Are you willing to attend a community forum to voice this message?

The vast majority (99%) of people living in the neighbourhood that I have spoke with strongly support efforts to slow down traffic on Six Mile Road and make pedestrian crossing of the road more accessible and safer. With ongoing development on Six Mile Road, including retail businesses that encourage neighborhood shopping and more frequent crossing of Six Mile Road, the dangers of not having safe crosswalks along the road is only increasing.

The further development in the Thetis Vale and Chilco Road areas is only increasing the density of the neighbourhood and increasing the number of people directly impacted by these improvements, not to mention the signifcant increase in street traffic we receive during the summer months.

The proposed changes that will be presented to the Mayor of View Royal, Mr. David Screech, are as follows:

Increase awareness of the current crosswalk on Six Mile Road, crossing between Chilco Rd and Nursury Hill Road. The crosswalk will be much more visible with overhead lighted signage that is controlled by pedestrians on either side of the road.

Add a second crosswalk, same as above, on Six Mile Road that goes between the bus stops close to Damon Drive.

Place speed readers on the posts of either side of the crosswalk, indicating drivers' speed and flashing "slow down" when speed in excess of 50km per hour is reached.

These changes will make pedestrian crossing more accessible and safer along Six Mile Road, while naturally decreasing the speed of traffic on the road through increased awareness of driver speed.

If you have not been contacted please email or phone me to vote for, or against, the proposed changes jeff@jeffmartens.ca or 250-812-6492.

Also, please leave any comments you have about the proposed changes or personal experiences that support the proposed changes in the comments below. This page and the comments will be shared with the mayor and decision makers at city hall.

Comments:

Catherine Wehrle
on May 9, 2016 10:19 PM posted:

To whoever is interested in Road Safety on 6-Mile Road, View Royal.
Issue
The traffic on 6-Mile road is excessive particularly between 7:30 and 8:30 and 3:30 to 6pm. During the afternoon rush hour frustrated drivers coming from Collwood or Esquimalt turn off Old Island Highway onto 6 mile Road for access to the TransCanada Highway (TCH). As a driver and a pedestrian living on Damon Drive I have observed many drivers speeding up 6-Mile road to the access the ramp to enter the TCH. There are no posted speed signs on 6-Mile road albeit a major road.
Background
Recently I got into a vehicular accident departing Damon Drive ‘stop line’ turning left onto 6 mile Road. While no one was injured it brought to mind my civil responsibility to point out dangerous situations in the hopes that others do not have the similar experience with greater consequence.
Six Mile Road, with a functional classification as a Major Road, is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation as this route serves as primary connection between the Island Highway, the TCH and Thetis Lake Park. Six Mile Road also serves residential developments within the Atkins Road Planning Area.... Plans exist to construct a sidewalk on the west side of the roadway and a roundabout at the intersection with Atkins Road1.
Furthermore according to Traffic Zone 5520 in order to mitigate the impact of full build-out of this zone, a new intersection configuration would be necessary at the intersection of Six Mile Rd. / Atkins Road. It is anticipated that the planned ‘roundabout’ at this location would effectively manage this new traffic2.
Analysis
In the Aug 02, 2006 edition, the Goldstream News Gazette writes “Further down the road in 2008, Phase 3 is a $1-million roundabout at Atkins Road and Six Mile, complete with landscaping3 would be constructed. It is now 2016 and residents feeding into 6-Mile Road are still waiting for this roundabout. Allegedly funding was to be provided by the new developments being built in the area...obviously this never happened. The roundabout would provide a safe alternative. This would allow resident to turn right, join 6-Mile road instead of crossing the busy traffic.
1http://www.viewroyal.ca/assets/Town~Hall/Documents~and~Forms/Engineering~Documents~and~Forms/TMP%20Chapter%2 04.pdf 2http://www.viewroyal.ca/assets/Town~Hall/Documents~and~Forms/Engineering~Documents~and~Forms/TMP%20Chapter%2 05.pdf
3 http://vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/index.php?/topic/48-local-road-and-highway-development-conditions/
￼￼￼￼
Entering 6 mile Road from Damon Drive turning left has poor sight distance because of the hill between Damon Drive and Sooke Highway (see Chart 1). The original plan for a roundabout at Atkins road would allow vehicles to make a right turn to safely enter 6-Mile road.
Imagine sitting in your car and you are about to enter the road. You look up and down the road before proceeding. The point where you observe the road is the sight distance. This is important because you need to see approaching traffic and they need to see you. Required sight distances are dependent upon posted speed limits. Posted speed limits are the white regulatory signs and not the yellow curve advisory sign4.
￼Chart 1.
Posted speed of road – km/h
Required sight distance – meters
Required sight distance – feet
40
￼
￼80
￼
￼
￼260
￼50
100
330
60
120
395
70
￼
￼140
￼
￼
￼460
￼80
160
525
Summary
While I do not know how fast the car was going on 6-Mile road when my bumper on my car was clipped, what I do know is I did not see him coming until it was too late. ICBC found me 100% responsible and I did not waste my time and money contesting ICBC’s claim, however, ironically the RCMP who were on scene did not ticket me.
Recommendation
To ameliorate this dangerous situation:
1. Post speed signs on 6-Mile Road – past Shell gas station before hill;
2. Install a traffic speed monitor - past Shell gas Station before hill; and
3. Expedite the building of the Atkins Roundabout (promised 2008)
4 http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/Development_approvals/driveways.htm

Stuart O'Connor
on May 10, 2016 1:50 PM posted:

We fully support Jeff's initiative, and feel this is very important to us and our community safety. There are many children in the area and we must do our best to protect them, and any cost!!!

Laura Nelson
on May 10, 2016 6:12 PM posted:

Having a toddler and a dog, I am extremely sensitive to speeding cars. Vehicles drive up and down this street so quickly with zero awareness of people walking or trying to cross the street. I do not feel that this street is a safe place to walk with my family. I also know that the traffic congestion on 6 mile is ridiculous at peak travel times. A neighbour told me a round about was suppose to go in to help with the congestion AND the speed limit. But apparently, it never went in. I feel that if something isn't done to change the speed on this road that something tragic will happen. Let's be proactive and not wait for that to happen to our community.

Cindy L Millar
on May 10, 2016 8:10 PM posted:

All your ideas sound really good to me, I think it is a great idea for crosswalk lights I am so surprised no one has been hit yet, I have lived on Nursery hill drive for almost two years and I have seen some close calls. Also, when I turn on to Nursery hill drive I'm surprised no one has hit me from behind they are going so fast I have no idea what the rush is and they don't even live around there they usually turn onto the highway!!

Lisa O'Connor
on May 11, 2016 8:27 AM posted:

A pedestrian lit crosswalk sign that also posts the speed limit is very necessary at the current crosswalk on 6-mile road located near the TCH. With more and more development for residential properties in this area, there are more people that use this crossing point. Now that there are shops across the street this will increase even more. Drivers use the entire 6-mile road as an off-ramp from the highway with very little regard for how fast they are driving and they definitely do no stop for pedestrians trying to cross the road. Speed limit signs need to be posted coming off the TCH as well as were Jeff has indicated coming from the Shell station. I hope that you don't wait until there is a tragedy on this road before taking action and fixing this problem.

Mickey MacBurney
on May 12, 2016 2:23 PM posted:

Thank you Jeff for starting this petition. I am in full agreement with the residents of the six mile road area. Six mile road is a race track in a residual area and so far if your just one person all you receive is lip service from the different government bodies. Let's give Jeff all the support he needs to fight the fight.

Loretta Larocque
on May 12, 2016 5:37 PM posted:

I walk my dog daily and watch the vehicles speed up and down 6 mile road. It gets worse in the summer when many people hang out in Thetis lake, and drive in and out of this area. While I enjoy the lake too, I sure hope pedestrians and drivers has a safe summer. Something has to be done, particularly with new businesses joining this corridor.
I hope the ToVR does not use crisscross white lines to facilitate illegal maneuvers in and out of the gas station, pub and liquor store. Double lines are not to be crossed, we are to stay of the right of them...what a mess when you turn onto 6mile road and are faced with vehicles crossing the yellow line to enter pub or liquor store. This is incredibly dangerous, particularly when oncoming traffic approach the light to turn right onto Old Island Hwy....Shame on the ToVR

Amanda Bissett
on May 13, 2016 5:52 PM posted:

We fully support Jeff's initiative to increase the safety of six mile road and the awareness of how fast people are going on this road so close to family homes and a beautiful lake despite being the road that leads to the on ramp of the trans Canada hwy. we are looking forward to doing whatever is necessary to help support Jeff and this initiative. Please take the time to post a comment or contact Jeff to do your part! Nursery Hill Dr family resident

Bob Moore
on May 15, 2016 10:37 PM posted:

I am for changes to improve the live-ability along Six Mile Rd. Beyond the speed and noise issue is the very dangerous X-walk at Nursery, as you have highlighted. To be fair, drivers can't see the walk driving toward the TransCanada until they are on it. I approached VR Engineering to install flashing lights there. This was made part of the budget deliberations but I do not know the outcome and no one got back to me. It is indeed time to up the volume. The problem for VR, of course, is that this is not a VR thoroughfare but rather Ministry of Transport and being so small it is not likely on their radar at all. However, VR should have more influence with them than us.
Thanks for you efforts.

Richard Beaumont
on May 21, 2016 8:01 PM posted:

I live right behind the shell station. I can hear drivers on wet rainy nights revving their engines before fishtailing it out of the lot and charging up six mile. unfortunately by the time I hear them my camera is still switching on and going to the camera app after they have done so.
I have a new baby, a small child, a dog and change is necessary!!
I have no NO faith the RCMP will respond to any complaint or our elected village officials. However, hopefully this petition will bring all parties together.

Shawna Wilson
on May 25, 2016 3:16 PM posted:

I fully support this petition. The speed at which cars travel along Six Mile is not acceptable. The lack of speed signs (there is only 1) needs to be addressed. The addition of pedestrian activated crossing lights will save a life. I have had many close calls when cross not only at the Nursery Hill crossing, but also at the crosswalk further towards Thetis Lake. I strongly encourage the Town of View Royal to do their part to ensure the safety of the taxpaying residents of the Six Mile area and to also follow through on the plans to install a round about at Atkins as was their original plan several years ago.

Hari Krishan Sharma
on Jun 23, 2016 6:42 PM posted:

I support any move which is for the safety of neighborhood..

Sean Daniel
on Aug 31, 2016 12:03 AM posted:

Fully support.
If you live up Six Mile and take the bus into work, getting home can be treacherous. Often you're trying to cross Six Mile in the pouring rain when it's dark out and people are ripping around corners. I don't feel you can wear enough lights to stop the traffic in these conditions.

Malik Aziz
on Sep 2, 2016 5:54 PM posted:

I am fully support of intsalling cross walk or spread reader at cross of Damon rd and six mile
We live up on Damon Drive and for last few years we are seeing the cars at high speed on six mile. Turning to six mile rd from damon rd is some time very risky due to high speed of cars coming from both direction
We fully support this initiative

Hari Krishan Sharma
on Sep 2, 2016 6:02 PM posted:

I live on Nursery Hill Drive... I support this move to install cross walk at Six Mile Road.

Mick and Jan
on Sep 6, 2016 8:33 PM posted:

Way to go Jeff! Your hard work is paying off. Just saw the digital speed sign installed on Six Mile Road at Atkins.

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